Cowley Thomas

Commander (retired) William Cowley Thomas, C.B.E. (27 June, 1900 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

In 1931, he changed his name to Cowley Thomas.

Life & Career

The son of H. J. Thomas, Esq., a stockbroker.

He passed out of the Training Establishment in May 1917 and served in the battleship Royal Oak until 9 June (March?), 1919. He then took a four-week course in Torpedo Control at the torpedo training school H.M.S. Vernon, after which he was temporarily assigned to the destroyer Mons for three months.

Thomas was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 August, 1921.

In August 1924, he was sent to Lucia to be a spare officer for submarines. September found him in L 69, where he may have remained until February 1927.

In May 1928, he was made first lieutenant in L 54.

Thomas was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 August, 1929.

He was placed on the Retired List at his own request upon arriving back in England on 26 May, 1934.

World War II

Mobilized 28 September, 1938.

Thomas was promoted to the rank of Commander on 27 June, 1940.

He was mentioned in despatches for his role in capturing Sicily.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by John P. Wisden	Captain of H.M.S. H 31 29 Apr, 1929 – 21 Apr, 1930	Succeeded by Hugh G. Cooke
Preceded by Thomas I. S. Bell	Captain of H.M.S. L 21 31 Dec, 1931 – 4 Jan, 1933	Succeeded by Henry C. Cumberbatch
Preceded by Thomas M. Taylor	Captain of H.M.S. Odin c. late Mar, 1933 – 24 Apr, 1934	Succeeded by Hugh V. King
Preceded by Reginald H. Portal	Captain of H.M.S. York 15 Mar, 1941 – 13 Jun, 1941	Succeeded by Vessel Stricken
Preceded by New Command	Senior Naval Officer, Taranto 9 Sep, 1943 – 9 Jan, 1944	Succeeded by Charles E. Morgan as Flag Officer, Taranto and Adriatic